Key Facts

Overview

Welther is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Welther as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Welther orbits the sun every 1,670 days (4.57 years), coming as close as 1.88 AU and reaching as far as 3.64 AU from the sun. Welther is about 19.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Philadelphia.

The rotation of Welther has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.60 hours.

No Close Approaches

Welther's orbit is 0.93 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

Welther's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 12, 1923. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,492 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of Welther:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.758 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3183
  • Inclination: 13.6°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 255.37°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 114.32°
  • Mean Anomaly: 279.79°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 19.08700 km
  • Magnitude: 11.87
  • Albedo: 0.138

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,670 days (4.57 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.97 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.64 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.88 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.60 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Welther is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.